Pessary.



No. 709,575. Patented Sept. 23, r1902.

0. HOLLWEG.

PESSARY.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1901.) (No Model.) i

E; e5 n Ztnarwes. fnr'enlalt UNITED drains PATENT @rricn.

CARL HOLLl/VEG, OE MAGDEBURGSUDENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT HEIHANN, OE BERLIN, GERMANY.

PESSARY.

SEEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent lilo. 709,675, dated September 23, 1902.

Application filed October 4, 1901. Serial No. 77.583. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL HoLLWno,pi1ysician and doctor of medicine, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at 121 Breiteweg, in the city of Magdeburg-Sudenburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented a certain new and useful Pessary, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to a pessary or a device for supporting the uterus; and it is especially intended to prevent excessive and abnormal bending of this organ and to obviate and break apart any abnormal growth of tissue, such as frequently takes place in consequence of lack of care during confinementor in child-bed. Such abnormal growth of tissue and excessive bending of this member can only be avoided by supporting the uterus from the interior, whereby there is also less straining of the ligaments of the uterus, which is retained in position without inconvenience to the wearer.

The device consists, substantially, of a ring provided with spring-acting stems, legs, or projections, the said legs resting against the interior surface of the walls of the uterus, which is thus secured in position. To this ring may be attached a lid, which is pivoted to the said ring and is adapted to close the opening of the uterus. This lid prevents the entrance of mucus and of the secretions of the vagina into the uterus, while on the other hand it does not interfere with the draining of the'uterus itself. The lid is therefore a very important adjuvant in preserving the healthy condition of this organ, for While the whole device, which is made of metal, can be easily sterilized, so that its insertion will not entail any danger to the uterus, it is obvious that this precaution would be entirely obvi- Viated if no provision were made to exclude the entrance of dirt and mucus from the vagina, which in case of a diseased condition of the same is liable to influence the uterus.

My invention is shown by way of example on the accompanying drawings in Figure 1 in front view and in Fig. 2 in side view. Fig. 3 is an illustration of the device used for introducing the pessary into the uterus, which is shown in Fig. 4 in connection with the said 5 cesses at the ends, which serve to retain the spring-acting legs in theinterior of the uterus.

For inserting the device I use an appliance which I call an introductor and which is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. ductor f consists of a long rod or handle, the outer end of which is slotted or grooved at r, so as to form a guide, which may be run over the spring-acting legs I) Z), which are thereby pressed together so as to be retained in the said guide 0". The projections e in this position rest against the ends of the guide 9". The rod or handle f may of course be solid or hollow and assume any convenient fancy shape desired.

For the purpose of inserting the pessary the introductorfis passed through the ring a and then run over the spring-acting legs I). The device may then be easily introduced into the uterus. withdrawn, the ring a being, if necessary, held back with the finger. After the introductor has been withd awn he device is retained in the uterus by the spring-acting legs I) spreading apart and resting with their thickened ends against the Walls of the uterus. Then the lid 0, which is pivoted to the ring a, is closed. This lid is retained in position by the mucous membrane itself, or it may be provided for this purpose with a flat spring pressing against it, or the loop by which the lid is pivoted to the ring a may be somewhat flattened, so as to produce a pinching or clamping action when the lid is turned.

The intro- 6 The introductor f is then 8 The introductor f is also used when it is desired to remove the device from the uterus. After the lid has been opened the introductor is inserted, which causes the logs b to be pressed together. Upon withdrawing the introductor the pessary itself will be also removed.

It may be mentioned as an important feature of my invention that there is absolutely no necessity oi joints and the like for attaching and operating the spring-acting legs; but all parts are integral in one piece with the exception of the lid, and it is the bending and splitting of the wire ends which imparts spring action to the legs.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A pessary comprising a stout wire of suitable material, one free end of which is split longitudinally forming two spring-acting bent legs while the other end is bent in shape of a ring at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said wire.

2. A pessary comprising in combination a stout wire, one end of which is split longitudinally while the other end is annularly shaped and bent at angle to the body of the wire, a hinged lid at the annular part, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

CARL HOLLWEG.

Witnesses:

L. PALMER, W. EGGELIN. 

